Love And A Touch Of Magic
by AllYouNeedIsLuv
Summary: Publicist Lily Evans had everything going for her: a superb job, wonderful bosses, even her own assistant. Suddenly her world changes with one small lie and a supposed advice columnist named James Potter.
1. What They Don't Know Won't Hurt Them

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. This is based off of J.K. Rowling's _Harry Potter_ series and _Dear Prince Charming_ by Donna Kauffman.

Chapter 1: _What They Don't Know Won't Hurt Them_

"Excuse me? I don't believe I heard you correctly. Run that by me again," said publicist Lily Evans. She currently was nervously pacing around her spacious and luxurious office, clutching her telephone to her ear while anxiously waiting for a response from the man who could make or break her career. Hell, he could make or break this _magazine_. She ran a shaky hand through her long, auburn hair and sat down on her comfortable office chair.

"I'm _gay_, Ms. Evans. Gay. Not straight. Batting for the other team. Whatever you prefer to call it," said the voice of an unreasonably tranquil Remus Lupin. _How could he be so CALM at a time like this?_ thought Lily. It was two weeks before _A Touch of Magic_, a new modern witch's magazine and rival to _Witch Weekly_, began the photo shoot for its upcoming celebrity Remus Lupin, advice columnist extraordinaire. Though the magazine was selling, it wasn't enough to outdo _Witch Weekly,_ which is the ultimate goal that Lily Evans will claw her way to. _And if it means to literally "claw", then so be it,_ she thought. Witches all across the country have anxiously been awaiting seeing the man who has helped them "win their wizard over", "dump their frog and get a prince" and other romantic problems. But now, how would they respond to their supposed "dream guy" being _gay_?

"Are you sure? About being gay, I mean. There isn't any way that you are, by any chance, uncertain? Confused? Lonely? Anything?" cried a now very desperate Lily.

"Yes, I'm certain, Ms. Evans. I've been certain since my Hogwarts years," chuckled Remus.

"And you decided that two weeks before all this publicity and hype begins that you would come frolicking out of the closet?" hissed Lily. _This can't be happening, this can't be happening, this can't be happening…_All of her hard work and dedication, thrown away breezily by a single sentence! Every photo shoot, every interview, every appearance, every book signing that she has slaved over to achieve and plan… gone!

"Yes, I know that this is a horrific time to tell you this, I'm sure that you have enough stress on you as it is…" said Remus, trailing off.

"Why _yes,_ I _do_ have enough stress to LAST ME A GODDAMN LIFETIME! Listen to me, Mr. Lupin-"

"Please, call me Remus. As it seems we will be spending a profuse amount of time together, I hope that it would be okay to be on a first name basis. Is this feeling mutual, _Lily_?" said Remus, hoping to calm her down, if only for a second.

"Yes, yes, but this isn't the problem, _Remus_. The problem is that you signed a contract. A contract that binds you at least 2 years of publicity for _A Touch of Magic_. There's no way that you can back out of this NOW!" yelled Lily.

"And don't worry, I will fulfill that contract. But all I'm asking for is that you spare me my physical identity. All I ask for is to not be shown in the public eye."

"And exactly HOW do you plan to do this when you know damn well that your entire contract is based on publicity?" screeched Lily. _I can't believe this. Just when my life begins to simmer down and go my way, THIS happens._

"Again, please do not worry. Your job is safe and sound… along with the contract," Remus quickly added when he heard a screech of protest.

_Well, there's one half of the plan accomplished_, thought Remus. _Hopefully the other will be just as amicable as she was_, he added sarcastically.

_What is that damn RINGING?_, thought a very drowsy James Potter. _Pillow? No. Sun? Not likely. Sirius? Maybee…_ He lifted his head, hands flying about to find a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. _Ah hah, _he thought proudly as he grasped onto them. _Now onto the ringing._

James began searching around for the source of the beeping, finally finding it in the shape of a telephone. _How do Muggles stand this?_ He picked up the telephone, muttering a very groggily greeting.

"James? Are you there?" said a recognizable voice.

"Moony?" James questioned. _Why's he calling this early?_

"Prongs, did you just wake up? It's 2 in the afternoon! Ahhh… late night, I suppose?" Remus said knowingly. James peered over at the over side of his king-sized bed. He encountered a large ball of blonde hair and a foot somehow lying next to it.

"Yeah, I guess it was," James said, awe and confusion obvious in his tone. He couldn't remember for the life of him what he had done last night. _Well, obviously I know **what** I did…_he thought. He ruffled his jet black, constantly messy mop of hair and began to look for a pair of trousers. "So Moony, what can I do for you?"

"Well, James, I've got a far-fetched favor that I need to ask of you," said "Moony" somewhat timidly.

"Oh yeah? Could Padfoot do it? He's always good at fetching things," snickered James, referring to the animagus shape, a large black dog, that Sirius Black could transform into. _Good ol' Hogwarts_, thought James. He remembered the nights that the Marauders spent together helping Remus through the adversity of his transformation. Every full moon, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were no longer the Marauders, but a stag, dog, werewolf and a rat, respectively. Though the nights usually ended in scratches and bruises, sometimes worse, James remembered those nights with a sense of amusement and nostalgia.

"No, he couldn't do this task. Too stupid for it," joked Remus. Sirius was always known by his ignorance of the phrase, "think before you speak". It had landed him in a few spots, especially during their 7th year with a masculine-looking girl name Amanda Crabbe. Remus chuckled at the memory of a terrified Sirius being held two feet above the ground by a menacing six-foot girl with a unibrow.

"Oh, well then I understand perfectly. What's the mission, Moony?"

"Pretend to be me for a few years," said Moony in a monotone voice.

"Good one, and the task is, Moony? And hurry up, there's a big fluff of blonde hair in my bed that might wake up any minute now."

"I'm being serious, Prongs," Remus said, in the same monotone voice. He began to explain the situation he was in. How he had began to write pieces of advice for some girls in Hogwarts in their 7th year. How he was recommended to a few newspapers before being picked up by a magazine called _A Touch of Magic_. How he had frivolously signed a contract before realizing how much media he would be receiving.

"What I don't understand is _why_ you don't want this attention. You're a very attractive guy, Moony. Don't take that the wrong way though, I'm not a poof," chuckled James, oblivious to the cringe Remus made on the other side of the line. James was right in his assessment, Remus was very attractive. Through his Hogwarts years, he was shadowed by the black, messy hair of James Potter and the sultry gray eyes of Sirius Black. But now, 6 years after Hogwarts, Remus easily falls under the category of "Sexy, Charming, Sweet and Any Other Adjective To Describe A Dream Man". His sandy blonde hair and startling blue eyes remain the same, but he falls a little over six-foot, with broad shoulders and a toned chest. His facial features have sharpened, with cheekbones and a nose that makes him look like a god. Yes, he could easily compete against James and Sirius for any girl. Or man, in Remus' case.

"Well, James, that's another little surprise that you're going to find out. I'm gay."

"Oh…"

Lily sat at her office desk, furiously squeezing at a Muggle stress-relief ball while anxiously waiting for a call from Remus. Hopefully she could get this sorted out before her meeting with the Fairy Godmothers, three very powerful and charismatic witches who came together to make something great. Something that every witch could have in common. Something that Lily desperately wanted to be apart of as their _executive_ publicist.

That was another goal, for the plaque on her wooden desk to read _Lily Evans, Executive Publicist_. Recently, she had entertained the idea of that actually happening, until today. No, today, a very attractive (Merlin if he wasn't attractive) man pleaded guilty to swinging the other way. The same man that sat on top of a contract, her career, basically her life.

Lily had always prided herself in fully immersing into her work. She was at the top of her class at Beaubaxtons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She even had top marks in her Auror training, which she never used. Once she got through her training, she was swept up in the frenzy of media. She was fascinated by how almost every witch in England owned a copy of _Witch Weekly_ at one point or another in their life. She loved her job and she was going to fight to keep it, gay advice columnist or not.

Suddenly her telephone rings, seemingly reverberating off of the tension filled in the room. She picked up the receiver with haste, snapping a quick greeting and introduction to the person on the other side.

"Lily? It's Remus again. I just wanted to tell you that the plan is complete. I got the consent of the friend I needed it from, so don't worry. I can tell you're going crazy, probably strangling a poor stress ball to death," chuckled Remus.

"Well I have to tell you, I will leave the stress ball alone if you tell me what the hell is going on," shouted Lily.

"Relaxation is a virtue, along with _patience_," said Remus, as if he were speaking to a five year-old. "Now, the plan is quite simple: I will continue to write for your advice column, I will do every written interview that will be published. What I don't want to do is any photo shoot or public book signing. That's where the plan comes in. I have a friend who agreed, though quite reluctantly, to fill in as me for the public's eye. That way, everyone's happy: I'll have privacy, you'll have publicity and the public will see what they want."

"Bu-but… there are SO many things that could go wrong with this supposed 'plan' of yours," stuttered Lily. " How will he know what to do? What if they ask a question about your past? Or his past? These witches are nosey, they'll rip him apart if he has a bad past. What if they ask him to give advice? Is he qualified to do this? You said he's reluctant, will he be hard to work with? Is he someone that the public will like?"

"My friend James will be fine to work with. He's very amiable. Although he can be quite arrogant sometimes, he'll be on his good behavior, I swear," he quickly added when he heard Lily groan. "I'll be with him at every event as his manager, so if he runs into a tight spot I'll help him out of it. And believe me, the public will _love_ him."

"What am I supposed to do about the Fairy Godmothers? Just completely leave them out of this and lie to their face? I'm pathetic at lying!" she exclaimed.

"What they don't know, won't hurt them," said Remus in a low voice.


	2. Down To Business

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. See Chapter 1's disclaimer.

Chapter 2: Down to Business

_Gay? _

_Remus? _

_Advice columnist? _

_Photo shoots?_

…

_Too early. _

_Coffee!_ thought a very baffled James. He had managed to bustle the "ball of blonde hair" out of his apartment without a name, phone number or explanation. That's the way he preferred it to be. No complications; it made everything so easy.

James Potter didn't _do_ romance. Nor did he do _relationships_. Nope, a shag here and there was fine by him. He didn't need the whiny complaints of "Why don't you pay attention to me?" or "Do you think this robe makes me look fat?". He could apparate away in a millisecond if he wanted to, no strings attached.

_Which is **why**_ _I don't understand where Remus got this idea of **me** playing an advice columnist to **women**!_, thought James as he distractedly poured himself a cup of coffee. What James didn't understand even more was the fact that Remus was gay. One of his best friends. A Marauder. He had spent _7 years_ in the same bedroom as him! They had been through thick and thin, and yet Remus felt that he needed to hide this little fact!

_Well, Sirius and I were both assholes back then…_thought James briefly before being brought out of his brooding by a loud and abrupt bang in his living room.

"Hey James," said Remus quite timidly.

"Hey Moony," greeted James in a cheerful manner, thinking that he shouldn't make Remus more uncomfortable than what he already is.

"Well, I brought by a few things that you're going to need to read before you start this whole publicity thing. In case you get asked questions about previous pieces of advice I'd given, I have all of the things I've written with me now," said Remus as he dropped a very large box, filled to the top with dozens of _A Touch Of Magic_'s magazines and a myriad of books, onto the floor.

James gawked at the box. "You… expect _me_… to read…_all_… of those… whiny complaints? It'll take me years!"

"They're not whiny complaints. On the contrary, many of these women have suffered a lot throughout their lives, more than what they need to. Usually, it's caused by men like you," Remus scolded, watching James grimace at the last sentence.

"And no, I don't expect you to read all of the magazines," continued Remus. "Usually, that's where you can slip in a promotion for _A Touch Of Magic_. But the books, yes. They have the more…value to my readers, because they contain the more memorable letters I've gotten. Most of the questions will most likely be focused on other things, besides my writings. More on 'my' good looks, I suppose," he chuckled.

"How about _skimming _the books? Please?" pleaded James, adding a puppy dog face for effect.

"No, I'm sorry. If you don't understand the advice you're supposedly giving, Lily will have my head, if she won't already," stated Remus.

"Lily? Who's Lily? I thought you were GAY!" shouted James suggestively .

"Lily is the publicist from _A Touch Of Magic_. And yes, I'm _still _gay, James. I haven't changed from the last time you asked me. Lily is quite apprehensive about this whole thing as it is, and we can't ruin her career because you don't want to do the research," said Remus while stacking all of his books on James' living room table.

"Oh."

"Well-put. But you will meet Ms. Evans soon, since we are supposed to meet her tonight for dinner at her house to discuss the 'game plan', so to speak."

"Oh."

"Yes, again, well-put. We'll leave around five-thirty, so be ready. Wear something somewhat casual, but still nice. You, especially, need to make a good impression on her."

"Alright, Moony. Pick me up around five-thirty, then, sweetheart," joked James while playfully batting his eyelashes.

"I'm gay, James."

"Oh."

LILY'S POINT OF VIEW

Lily nervously rearranged every napkin and straightened every utensil on her table. She tugged at her black two-piece business suit and ran her fingers through her hair. They would soon be here, two men that she had never come face-to-face with in her entire life. The two men that held her career in their hands.

"It's been a rough couple of days, huh, Moll's?" Lily asked her quiet, yet lovely, sheepdog, Molly. Her father had gotten Molly for her once she moved out, saying that "every woman should have their own protector". Lily chuckled at the memory, remembering that she was thoroughly insulted that her dad thought that she couldn't find a man to protect her.

Lily had begun to toy with Molly's fur when the doorbell rang. _Well, here goes…my career,_ thought Lily. She gave herself a quick once-over before walking to the door.

As she opened the door, she didn't see two men. She saw two gods. One man was the epitome of a muggle model. He had sandy blonde hair that was windswept across his left eye. Lily had to hold back a gasp when she saw his electric blue eyes. His skin was a pale cream color that accentuated the captivating color of his eyes. Currently, his facial features were shining with a mix of nervousness and sheepishness. He was a little over six foot, with toned, but not bulky, muscles.

The other was even more breathtaking, but in a different way. His hazel eyes held signs of amusement and deviousness that gave him his "bad boy" factor. His jet black hair stuck up at awkward angles, but was very sexy, nonetheless. His facial features were very well-defined, especially his cheekbones. His tanned face held signs of a blush, most likely from the cold wind. He was very tall, taller than the other. His muscles were toned as well, but more defined. But all of that was nothing compared to his smile. The somewhat crooked smile plastered on his face was enough to make her swoon, yet she could tell from the arrogance in his posture that he has gotten that reaction a lot. Therefore, she refrained. Barely.

"Lily Evans, nice to meet you both," she said, hoping they didn't realize she had been openly staring at them.

"Hello, I'm Remus, we talked on the phone. This gawking prat is my friend, James Potter. Don't worry, he's housebroken," chuckled Remus. Lily quickly turned her gaze to Mr. Potter. Indeed, he was staring very intently at her. _Well,_ Lily silently laughed. _At least he didn't notice that the gaze was mutual._

Once it seemed that he realized he was staring, Mr. Potter abruptly stuck out his hand. "James Potter," he said sheepishly.

"She knows that already, you dolt," said Remus, attempting to hold back his laughter, but failing miserably.

"Oh, sorry," he said while Lily took his hand. She tried desperately to ignore the shock that seemed to course her body when she touched his hand. It seemed that he was trying to do the same, as well.

"Well, please come in. Dinner's almost ready, and we have a lot to go over," she stated in a business-like manner. As she walked them through the hallway and to the living room, she snuck another glance at Mr. Potter. She admired how his face seemed to show every emotion that went through his mind. _What emotion it is seems to be the hard part, though_, Lily thought.

"Are you pleased with the front, or do you need a rear view, as well?" questioned Mr. Potter with arrogance. Obviously he had caught her staring.

"I could say the same to you from your earlier musings, Mr. Potter," snarled Lily, embarrassed that she had been exposed. She gained some satisfaction from watching him turn pink from embarrassment.

"You can call me James," he said, trying to ignore her comment.

"Please make yourselves comfortable, I'm going to go check on the dinner," she said as they reached her living room. As soon as they both took a seat, she stalked off quickly to the kitchen.

_Where does he come off saying something like that? He may look the part of a dream guy, but he sure has the mannerisms of a tainted Prince Charming. This is the kind of guy that these women write about! How is he going to pretend that he's the man to make everything better for them, _thought Lily. How they were going to pull this stunt off with a man like that, she didn't know.

She quickly pulled her main dish out of her Muggle oven, only to see that it was burnt, through and through. She refrained from shouting every swear word known to wizard kind, and muttered a few spells to make it look and taste perfectly fine. _What they don't know, won't hurt them_, thought Lily, using Remus' previous words of wisdom.

JAMES' POINT OF VIEW

James sat in Lily Evans' living room, playing with her dog as he looked at her photographs. He felt as though he was intruding somehow, but he didn't care. Much.

"So, sweetie, do you know if your owner is single?" James lovingly asked the sheepdog. He answered James' question with two thumps of his tail on the floor. "Hmm… I hope that that's a yes," mused James.

"I highly doubt that it's a 'yes' after the stunt you pulled in the hallway. I thought I told you to refrain from your arrogant ways, just if it's only for tonight," said Remus somewhat playfully.

"It's your fault that I did it. _You're _the one that embarrassed me to begin with. I was just making the score par."

"_I _didn't embarrass you. _You_ embarrassed yourself. Staring at the poor girl, drool going down your face… would you have rather me let you continue to make an idiot out of yourself?" questioned Remus.

"Can you blame me? Did you _look_ at her? I know you're gay, but I think you can still recognize a gorgeous woman when you see one. Plus, she's a redhead. You know I'm drawn to bright and shiny things," stated James while absentmindedly scratching the sheepdog's belly.

Remus laughed. "Of course, it's gotten you this far."

At that moment, Lily returned. "What would you two like with dinner? Wine, a beer?"

"Have any firewhiskey?" said James. If he had to suffer through a business dinner, why not be sloshed?

Remus shot him a look and said, "Wine would be great."

"Okay, dinner's ready then. Follow me, please," said Lily.

After a cheerful dinner filled with small talk of the wizarding world and recent events, they moved to the living room, now with less tension and a little bit more knowledge of each other. Just a little.

"Okay, let's get down to business," stated Lily.

**Author's Note:** Okay, sorrythat this chapter's boring, what with very little LJ action and all, but it's just the beginning, so it'll begin to get better! Luckily today I'm in a writing kind of mood, so I might have the next chapter out by tonight. Maybe. I highly recommend _Dear Prince Charming_ to all of you. It's a quick but wonderful romance read by Donna Kauffman. I'd also like any suggestions for another story. I tend to be ADD about things so a side-project might be good. PLEASE REVIEW!


	3. Underwear Model?

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing. See previous chapters.

CHAPTER 3: Underwear Model?

James proceeded to take a seat in a comfy leather chair when he heard the five words he had been avoiding all night: "Let's get down to business," said Lily. He downed the rest of his glass of wine and said, "What is there to get down to? I stand in as Remus for anything requiring a picture and Remus continues to do all the written stuff. Everyone's happy, and the contract is fulfilled. The end."

"Easier said than done, James. There are… legalities involved in this stunt. If we're caught, we're sued. Easy as that. We need to make sure we all have the same story. And we all need to clear up any… discrepancies from the past," stated Lily.

"Yes, I agree. As I had told you before, Lily, I will play the role as his manager so that if any tight spots do arise, I can get him out of that," said Remus.

"And how would you do that? What if he describes a piece of advice that you had given previously, but screws it up and is caught? How would that be a problem to the manager?" questioned Lily.

"Well, I _do_ know really good Memory charms," said Remus with a wink.

"I promise to stay away from the old writings and such," soothed James.

Lily quickly turned her calculating glare onto James. "What are we going to do if they start researching your past? Do you have any sort of strikes against you that would interest the public?"

"Not that I know of, no."

"What about if someone recognizes you?"

"Lily, I'm an Auror. I've recently, within the past two months, returned to my apartment from a place unknown. All of my friends are Aurors, as well. I don't even know if they're alive, so you won't have a problem with anyone recognizing me," said James with a touch of remorse. Being sent home was one of the worst things that happened to him. He was hit with a Cruciatus Curse several times, and was sent home, leaving his friends, that were basically his family, to fend for themselves. His return home had cut off all means of communication with his friends, so he had no knowledge of their well-being, or lack thereof.

Lily had obviously caught onto his tone, and saw the glassiness of his eyes. She too understood the demands of an Auror. Going through the training had been enough for her. But James, he looked so… lost and vulnerable. She had the sudden urge to run up to him, hug him, comfort him, yet she realized that he might take that as pity, which she was sure James Potter would not put up with.

Before Lily could even respond with some comforting words, James bounced back and out of his funk. "Although, the ladies _always_ seem to recognize me," James boasted, with a wink that found its way to Lily. Gone was all the remorse in Lily's eyes, replaced with a disapproving glare that sported most of the night.

Remus watched the couple with amusement and some awe, as well. Never had he seen James open up and speak of his past this quickly. This woman was practically a _stranger_ to him. _Of course, he couldn't seem to keep his 'womanizer' status out of a conversation, which _is _normal,_ Remus chuckled. Maybe this was the beginning of something great, and he wasn't thinking of the magazine.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sunday morning, James found himself rummaging through his closet, looking for something to wear to the photo shoot later that day. _Sweatpants? Nah. Quidditch tee shirt? Nope. Blue shirt? Too tacky. Lime green tuxedo?_ James pondered whether or not the look on Lily Evans' face would be worth the embarrassment. _A definite consideration_, he chuckled. He put the tuxedo neatly on his bed, along with all of his other considerations.

He began thinking about the dinner that occurred last night at the lovely, enticing Lily Evans' apartment. He didn't understand what made him gawk at her like he did at the door. Nor what made his attention stay focused on her the entire night. _Not the words she was saying, of course,_ James thought with a soft laugh. He knew he was obviously spellbound by her beauty: her expressive jade green eyes, her fiery auburn hair that cascaded down to her shoulder blades, her gorgeous face that, unfortunately, was sending him a cold look the entire night. All that plus a spicy attitude and a quick wit.

But what made him wonder was why he opened up to, basically, a complete stranger? James was easily the life of the party; the guy that was outgoing, charismatic and fun to be around. But when it came to his private life, with his Auror friends and "family", he tended to avoid the topic, especially after he was discharged. Not that he was ashamed of them, but that it was a sore spot for him, leaving them stranded to fight the war by themselves. If it was one thing James hated, it was not being able to help, one of the many reasons he became an Auror.

So why was this sensitive part of his past easily brought up, by his own doing, to someone he had known for a maximum of two hours? He brooded on this question until he heard a loud pop, followed by his front door opening. Knowing that it was most likely Remus, he began to start conversation.

"So, what happened to my old Remus? The one who would wear a red sock and a gold sock and not even care? The one most likely to be found wearing his pajamas to dinner at Hogwarts? Yeah, where'd he go? Because now all I hear is, 'Don't wear that, it's too tacky' and 'Red is the new black'. I mean, what happened to my old Rem-y?"

"I'm thinking 'Rem-y' probably graduated from Hogwarts and grew up. But, hey, that's just an opinion," stated a feminine voice. _Oh, so _that's _how it goes…pulling the 'gay voice' card on ol' Prongsy_, thought James.

"Okay, I know you're an official gay man, Remus, but that doesn't give you the right to pull a gay voice on me. You know I can't retaliate against that anymore," chuckled James.

"You think I sound like a gay man, Potter?" stated a _very _angry, _very_ feminine and _very_ non-Remus voice.

James then popped his head outside of his bedroom door to see who had actually barged into his home. "LILY?" exclaimed James.

"Well, seeing as I'm actually a 'gay man', I should tell you: my real name's _Larry_," Lily said sarcastically.

"Sorry, _Larry_, but the only one who usually _barges_ into my home _without _knocking is Remus. I apologize _profusely_ for not realizing that it was my best friend's _publicist_," stated James somewhat angrily while continuing to rip through his closet.

"So, when did you find out that he was gay? Remus, I mean. You must've known for a while, I suppose, so this whole scenario isn't much of a shock to you, hmm?" said Lily conversationally, as she pushed him out and began rummaging through his closet herself.

The sincerity in Lily's voice stung him even more than if she would have been mocking him. _Of course, it's quite obvious a person would assume that Remus' best friend would know he was gay,_ James thought bitterly. He quickly chucked out all of those thoughts. _He had a reason…_

"Nope, I found out the same day that you did," James said, trying desperately to rid of the bitterness in his voice.

"Oh," said Lily, quite shocked, which stung him a little more. "I just assumed… he must have had a reason to… I'm sorry," she said quite genuinely.

"No problem," James said, trying to dismiss the entire conversation.

"So, why _are_ you in this? This is a major thing, not many people would go through this for their friends. What's in this for you?" asked Lily quietly.

"Well, Remus was a great friend to me in Hogwarts. Me, him and our two other friends were well known around the school. We played pranks and jokes that were remarkable, if I do say so myself," chuckled James. "Sirius Black and I were the two main troublemakers. We would come up with outrageous stunts and pranks that, now looking back, probably could have killed us. Remus was our rational, level friend who basically saved us many a time. We've also done things before to repay him. We're just a big, supportive family," he said with obvious pride in his voice.

"What other 'things' have you done to repay him? Surely they're not as large as this," said a very awed Lily.

"It's not for me to tell, but it definitely is close to what I'm doing right now," James said, remembering the times in Hogwarts when they all snuck off to help with Remus' transformation. He knew he couldn't tell her this, and he didn't want her to push, so he continued. "This favor is something that really is nothing to me. I don't mind helping Remus out at all, so you don't need to worry about me slacking off or not doing my part."

"I never said that—"

"No, but it's obvious that you think about that whenever I'm around," James stated. It shouldn't hurt him so much that she doesn't trust him, but for some reason, it did. He wanted them to come out of this as friends, if not anything more.

She said nothing, but pulled out a tattered and beaten Quidditch shirt that looked like it had been hexed into oblivion. She held the shirt out in front of her and raised an eyebrow. "I think Remus has some right to tell you what to wear and what not to wear," she said, completely deadpan.

He laughed and said, "Oh, that's wasn't even mine. An old girlfriend from Hogwarts gave it to me for Christmas. Candy Thomas, I believe her name was."

"Memorable gift, was it?" she joked.

"Honestly? I kept it because she used to sleep in it."

"Ah… the gift that keeps on giving, I suppose," she said dryly.

"Yes, Candy was a _very_ sweet girl," James said, trying to get a little jealously out of her.

"I'm sure that's _exactly_ what her parents had in mind when they named her," she said lightly.

_Nothing. Damn, this girl is good_, James thought. But then, that was to be expected. He could tell that this was a girl that didn't lose it very quickly. Sure, she had a temper, but when it came to come-on's, she could easily throw something right back at him. Instead of putting a damper on his spirit, this encouraged him. _I always love a good challenge,_ thought James, desperately trying to believe that he was only attracted to her because of the "challenge", and nothing else.

"When was the last time you purchased a piece of clothing? Not after 1974, I suppose," she said dryly as she pulled out another of the dozens of flannel shirts she had found already.

"Collectibles, I tell you," he said, taking a seat on his bed as he continued random conversations with her. He couldn't remember the last time he had a good conversation with a woman.

"I'm thinking that we'll have to have the stylist at _A Touch Of Magic _work her wonders. I can't see you wearing anything to a photo shoot that's lying on this bed currently," she chided.

He knew that the statement wasn't meant to be suggestive, but he couldn't help it. Much. "Well, I could just wear my underwear. There are models for that, right?" he joked, silently pleased when he watched her eyes bulge a little, obviously thinking of him in his underwear.

"I'm sure that my three 50-year old bosses would be delighted. Excited, even," she said, trying to give him a mental image right back.

"Ugh," came the reply from the man on the bed.

"Yes, well, we're going to be late if we don't find you something to wear soon," said Lily. She soon shoved past him and started examining every part of his wardrobe. This gave him the time to examine her. She was wearing a very tailored, plum-colored suit, with a knee length skirt and a somewhat tight-fitting jacket. She looked like the sexy-but-off-limits boss that all the male interns had fantasies about. And him. Her hair was pulled into a severe bun, yet she managed to make it look beautiful. Her make-up was minimal, but he could detect a glossy, rosy-red hue to her lips. He smirked at thinking about how fast he could remove that lipstick from her lips. A matter of seconds, easily.

He was quickly thrown out of his daydream by a pair of khaki pants, a brown button-up shirt and a white undershirt being thrown into his face by a very annoyed redhead. "Stop staring, Potter, or do you…'need a rear view, as well'?" she said, shooting his words back at him.

He just smirked as he sauntered up to her, almost pinning her between himself and the closet door. "I've already seen it, but if you're offering…" he trailed as he slid his fingers up her arm. He wanted to get an emotion out of her, any emotion. If it were anger, then so be it. He was greatly surprised when he heard a soft gasp, when he saw the faint look of shock on her face. But, of course, she pulled herself together quickly (_not quickly enough,_ he chuckled) and shoved him away.

"Go get changed, Potter," she snarled.

"Yes, ma'am," he said with a wink.

**Author's Note:** Umm... so I'm done with this chapter. It's kind of one of those stories that start off slow, so if you're not into it yet, hopefully you will be within the next few chapters or so. Thank you to all who reviewed. I've been playing with how to switch POV's, but I think I've found one that I like, so hopefully it will work.

There's another book by this same author (Donna Kauffman) that I think would work very well with a story. It's about an advice columnist (again) that starts getting emails from an obsessive fan. Her great-aunt hires a detective/bodyguard for her, and they fall in love. That's the basic summary of it. Like it? I'm thinking it might be a Katie Bell/Oliver Wood pairing, because the detective gets hurt playing football in the story, which is why he becomes a detective. I thought that would correlate very well with Oliver. Tell me what you think, and if I should change the pairing! Thanks, and REVIEW! )


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